The plan to set up a F-16 jet production unit in India will be an "exclusive" proposition that will help the country in achieving its operational needs as well as the 'Make in India' initiative, according to American aerospace and defence major Lockheed Martin.

Defence Ministry sources today denied there was a deadline for it to issue a Request For Information (RFI) from aerospace companies on a fresh tender for combat aircraft meant to supplement the Indian Air Force's fleet of Sukhoi-30s, Rafales (on order) and Tejas fighters.

Flying officer Bhawana Kanth has become the second woman pilot of Indian Air Force to fly solo in a fighter aircraft. On Friday, around 2 pm, the 25-year-old flew in a MiG 21 Bison aircraft from Ambala Air Force Station to achieve the feat, reports news agency ANI.

Fighter Jet maker Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) said it plans to deliver three more light combat aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF) by the end of March, taking the count of planes in the IAF’s first Tejas squadron from six to nine.

A multibillion dollar programme to develop and produce a stealth fighter with Russia appears to be in peril, with the Indian Air Force (IAF) against pursuing it as it believes that the platform lacks the desired stealth characteristics and is inferior to US-made F-35 and F-22 jets, said a senior IAF officer familiar with the project.

This is being considered a major setback by global manufacturers like Lockheed Martin and Saab, which have been aggressively trying to market their aircraft F-16 and Gripen-E, respectively, to India for the last two years.

Production woes of the homegrown Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) have led to disenchantment and frustration in the Indian Air Force (IAF), which has ordered 123 of the planes and plans to order 201 more upgraded variants to arrest a sharp decline in its combat capabilities, Hindustan Times has learnt.

Footage of Chinese warplanes on drills in the country’s mountainous southwest suggest the military has overcome engine problems plaguing the aircraft at high altitudes, sounding a warning to regional rival India, military analysts said.